Associate Director, Corporate Strategy

Who We Are:
MapLight Therapeutics is a clinical stage biotech company that focuses on drug discovery for central nervous system disorders. We combine cutting-edge technologies including optogenetics, in vivo physiology, and spatial transcriptomics to identify novel drug targets and develop effective therapies to address psychiatric symptoms.

What You'll Do:
We are seeking a highly motivated and experienced Associate Director, Corporate Strategy to join our growing team. In this role, you will be a cross-functional partner in developing and executing the financial strategy and commercial planning. The ideal candidate will bring deep financial acumen, a strong understanding of biotech clinical and commercial process, and a collaborative, hands-on approach.

Responsibilities

• Act as a strategic finance partner to Clinical Development, Medical Affairs, and other commercial and corporate functions, supporting integrated planning, resource allocation, and cross-functional alignment
• Provide financial insights for program reviews, portfolio prioritization, business development opportunities, and other strategic decision-making discussions
• Support clinical and commercial planning through primary and secondary research
• Integrate competitive intelligence and market analytics into financial modeling by translating external landscape insights into actionable planning assumptions
• Develop long-range planning models, program-level forecasts, and valuation frameworks to assess pipeline potential, launch readiness, and other investment decisions
• Support resource planning in partnership with functional leaders to support program execution and organizational scaling
• Create dashboards and data visualizations to track KPIs, development progress, and resource utilization
• Assist with board presentations, investor materials, and other executive communications
• Contribute to the optimization of finance systems and tools (e.g., NetSuite, Adaptive Insights, Coupa) to enhance planning accuracy, efficiency, and scalability
• Help establish the financial infrastructure, tools, and processes needed to support MapLight's growth

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, or related field; Master's degree preferred
• 8+ years of progressive experience in FP&A, strategic finance, or corporate planning
• Demonstrated ability to build dynamic financial models and conduct scenario planning to support pipeline valuation and investment decisions
• Strong understanding of the biotech development and commercialization lifecycle, including key drivers such as pricing, market access, and program cost structures
• Experience translating scientific and market insights into strategic financial implications; exposure to competitive intelligence or portfolio planning is a plus
• Proficiency in financial systems (e.g., NetSuite, Adaptive Insights, Anaplan, Tableau, Excel)
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to partner cross-functionally and influence stakeholders at all levels
• Comfortable operating in a fast-paced, pre-commercial or high-growth biotech environment with evolving processes
• Highly organized, analytical, and capable of managing multiple priorities independently

Location:
This is a hybrid role on-site 3 days per week in our offices in Redwood City, CA or Burlington, MA.

Travel
Ability to travel as needed (up to 20%) for corporate and department-wide meetings.

Compensation for this role may vary within the above range based on many factors including geographic location, candidate experience, and skills. Additional compensation/benefits include annual bonus opportunity, medical, dental, vision, life and AD&D, short term and long term disability, 401(K) plan with match, stock options, flexible non-accrual paid time off, and parental leave.

Salary Range

$190,000—$215,000 USD

EEOC Statement: MapLight Therapeutics is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.